World Teachers' Day

In honor of World Teachers' Day, I would like to request that politics be removed from every school department. 

Let's start paying teachers a decent wage so that the people actually qualified to teach will want to hold the jobs.  Provide teachers with access to conferences and workshops on the different disabilities they will be dealing with on a daily basis.  And stop catering to parents who think their "little angels" can do no wrong.  Punish students who deserve it based on actions, not based on how rich their parents are or their race, etc.

Most importantly, add Common Sense to the lesson plan.  No Child Left Behind, my ass.  Even if a child's disability is discovered at a young age, there are no real experts out there.  Speaking from the perspective of a parent with two autistic children, "professional" psychiatrists and child psychologists don't have a clue.  So many symptoms overlap different diagnoses, there is no way to diagnose a child for certain at a very young age.  Both of my sons were misdiagnosed numerous times before they received the correct diagnosis and treatment.

What I said in the above paragraph about qualified teachers is based on personal experience.  For example, the special education teacher who was hired from a pizza shop with no prior educational experience.  Or the special education director who forced us to go along with the same accommodations again that had not worked the prior year because "they weren't used while she was on the job" (wasting 6 months of my son's time in school).  Or the special education teacher who didn't call me when my son was so upset that he ran away from the school and was gone for an hour (I found out when he called me).

I heard on a radio show the other day that supposedly it costs $15,000 a year or more to teach one disabled child.  Why?  Seriously, someone please tell me.  The special education teachers I have met have no more experience than working at the local pizza shop (honestly, one did).  They received no special training.  All of the special education students were crammed into one mobile classroom (a trailer), without air conditioning, while the special ed teacher's office had air.  ADHD students were in the same room as autistic students (bad combination if you want the students to succeed).   There were only 3 special education teachers for over 40 spec. ed students.  And to top it off, the school wanted me to sign off for them to charge Medicare for "day treatment services" at $85 a day just because my child received special ed services.

Here's a wild thought:  If a child has a disability and school makes them depressed or anxious, give the parent options.  Let the child take a pre-GED test to see how he/she would do.  And stop thinking about the all-mighty school budget.

My son dropped out of high school 3 years ago.  He had enough, and so had I.  It took this long for him to recover from his school experience (with an understanding therapist and medication).  He just passed his GED exam on his first try, and now he's looking forward to taking driver's ed and getting a job.  He is becoming more and more independent.  He is proud of himself, and above all else, he is happy. 

I applaud those teachers who really make a positive difference in children's lives.  I really do.  Unfortunately, all of the ones my family dealt with did much more harm than good for both of my children.  Looking back, I still don't know if the blame falls with the teachers or the school administrators.